environmental elements Agro-environment environmental elements
Climate elements light temperature air water
Soil- (edaphic) elements physical chemical biological properties
Surface (geographic) elements absolute and relative elevation exposure (hill regions, slopes) slope (characteristic)
Biological elements human flora fauna
Climatic elements managing the light
Importance of light effect on the plants’ growth development shape anatomy transpiration nutrient intake geographical spread
Photoperiodism short day plants long day plants day neutral plants require a certain amount of daylight to initiate flowering long day plants flowering when daylight falls below a certain amount day neutral plants
Long day plants - examples Allium cepa Avena sativa Brassica napus Brassica rapa Hordeum vulgare Lactuca sativa Linum usitatissimum Phleum pratense Pisum sativum Poa pratensis Ricinus communis Secale cereale Sinapis alba Solanum tuberosum Trifolium pratense Triticum aestivum Beta vulgaris Papaver somniferum Spinacia oleracea
Short day plants - examples Glycine max Nicotiana tabacum Ananas comosus Cannabis sativa Coffea arabica Oryza sativa Saccharum officinarum Zea mays
Day neutral plants - examples Fagopyrum esculentum Phaseolus vulgaris Helianthus annuus Lycopersicon esculentum
Species require light for germination Lactuca sativa Daucus carota Nicotiana tabacum Sinapis alba Alopecurus pratensis Bromus arvensis Bromus inermis Agrostis tenuis Dactylis glomerata Festuca pratensis Phleum pratense Poa annua Poa pratensis Poa trivialis
Species do not require light for germination Cucumis sativus Cucurbita pepo Phacelia tanacetifolia
Light neutral germination Beta spp. Brassica spp. Linum usitatissimum Cannabis sativa
Effects of temperature on plants’ growth and development temperature changes during vegetation period extreme low temperature freeze irreversible changes reversible changes
Germination temperature optimal (°C) Secale cereale 25-30 Allium cepa 15 Pisum sativum 25-30 Vicia faba 20-25 Brassica napus 20-30 Linum usitatissimum 25-30 Cannabis sativa 25-28 Brassica oleracea 25 Trifolium pratense 31-37 Triticum aestivum 15-30 Hordeum vulgare 20-25 Lactuca sativa 15 Avena sativa 25-30 Fagopyrum esculentum 25-30 Daucus carota 22 Medicago sativa 31-37 Beta vulgaris 20-25 Zea mays 32-35 Solanum tuberosum 19-24 Phaseolus vulgaris 32
Germination temperature optimal (°C) Oryza sativa 30-37 Panicum miliaceum 32-37 Cucurbita pepo 37-40 Nicotiana tabacum 28 Cucumis sativus 31-37 Cucumis melo 30-40
Managing soil temperature by raising soil moisture specific heat of water is higher than solid structures of the soil more moisture = less heatable soil clay soil = cold by reducing air in the soil specific heat of air is minimal against water less air = relative higher moisture content in the soil sand soil = warm same heat amount cause less temperature changes but can be kept longer less temperature variations
Managing soil temperature by tillage loosening more air structures are far from each other upper 10 cm layer of the soil protect the deeper layer soil pressing less air = better heat transfer quick warming soil better seed bed
The water - moisture managing the moisture
Managing moisture by plants nutrients in solution growing dynamics of the roots ground-water movement dense and strong root system depending on the species or varieties changes during the vegetation period critical periods of plants
Managing moisture by the soil soil porosity and density vapour source for soil dew moving to lower vapour pressure hygroscopic moisture soil fix it from the air water film fixed on soil aggregates
capillaceous water gravity water ground-water main moisture source for plants gravity water in bigger pores of the soil moving down with gravity ground-water in deeper layer of the soil moving horizontally
Managing the moisture content by farmer increasing water transform capacity increasing water holding capacity reducing the moisture losses good crop rotation quality manuring
Air managing the air
The air under the soil surface atmospheric air special composition against atmosphere roles of components in the soil atmospheric air static atmospheric composition for breath dynamic atmospheric motion wind
The edaphic elements managing
Nutrient management of the soil nutrients for plants and micro-organisms basis of soil fertility total nutrient amount of the soil increasing nutrients decreasing nutrients utilisation of nutrients
Total amount of nutrients Increasing by biological accumulation manuring Decreasing by eluviation leaching erosion transporting the plants
Soil fertility relative fertility partly independent from actual yields climate weather perfect plant protection, etc. nature born fertility human born fertility